The handwriting and the spelling of this journal are very bad.  It abounds in tautology and repetitions.  Facts are sometimes inverted in the order of time; but to remedy all these defects it would have been necessary to recast the whole, which would have completely changed the character of the work.  The spelling and punctuation were, however, corrected in the original, and some explanatory notes added.

Madame de Pompadour had two waiting-women of good family.  The one, Madame du Hausset, who did not change her name; and another, who assumed a name, and did not publicly announce her quality.  This journal is evidently the production of the former.

The amours of Louis XV. were, for a long time, covered with the veil of mystery.  The public talked of the Parc-aux-Cerfs, but were acquainted with none of its details.  Louis XIV., who, in the early part of his reign, had endeavoured to conceal his attachments, towards the close of it gave them a publicity which in one way increased the scandal; but his mistresses were all women of quality, entitled by their birth to be received at Court.  Nothing can better describe the spirit of the time and the character of the Monarch than these words of Madame de Montespan: 

“He does not love me,” said she, “but he thinks he owes it to his subjects and to his own greatness to have the most beautiful woman in his kingdom as his mistress.”

SECRET MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XV., AND MEMOIRS OF MADAME DU HAUSSET.

An early friend of mine, who married well at Paris, and who has the reputation of being a very clever woman, has often asked me to write down what daily passed under my notice; to please her, I made little notes, of three or four lines each, to recall to my memory the most singular or interesting facts; as, for instance—­attempt to assassinate the King; he orders Madame de Pompadour to leave the Court; M. de Machaudt’s ingratitude, etc.—­I always promised my friend that I would, some time or other, reduce all these materials into the form of a regular narrative.  She mentioned the “Recollections of Madame de Caylus,” which were, however, not then printed; and pressed me so much to produce a similar work, that I have taken advantage of a few leisure moments to write this, which I intend to give her, in order that she may arrange it and correct the style.  I was for a long time about the person of Madame de Pompadour, and my birth procured for me respectful treatment from herself, and from some distinguished persons who conceived a regard for me.  I soon became the intimate friend of Doctor Quesnay, who frequently came to pass two or three hours with me.

His house was frequented by people of all parties, but the number was small, and restricted to those who were on terms of greatest intimacy with him.  All subjects were handled with the utmost freedom, and it is infinitely to his honour and theirs that nothing was ever repeated.